I Would Die for You but I Don't Have Ten Minutes
by rachw
Summary: What if Sookie took time to consider the potential of the cluviel dor and made a deliberate choice about how to use it? Written for the Southern Vampire Mysteries/True Blood Fiction Exchange 2015 organized by Queen of Area Five.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N:_

 _Warnings: Mention of canonical rape and assault. Some adult language and situations, including limited violence._

 _Prompt:_  
 _California Kat provided several prompts; this story combines elements from three of them._  
 _● I love a good "what if" related to an iconic moment in the books or show—where events are twisted in Eric and Sookie's favor._  
 _● Sookie doesn't use the cluviel dor for Sam._  
 _● Any story where Sookie is smarter._

 _Title is a line from a poem by Brenda Hillman. Thanks to MagpieTales for giving it a beta read. Characters belong to Charlaine Harris._

 ** _Diverges from the books midway through Chapter 13 of Dead Reckoning._**

After the night I'd had—planning Victor's death, hearing Eric insist he couldn't ignore his maker's contract with Freyda, and rehashing it all with my ex-boyfriend Bill—I didn't feel a bit bad for sleeping until noon on Friday. I cleaned the house for a while in case I survived the night and had to host Tara's baby shower tomorrow, but I just couldn't throw myself into scrubbing like I normally would. The thought crossed my mind to leave instructions in case I died and my friends carried on with the shower at my house anyway. That's when I realized I must be in some kind of shock from everything that had happened.

Knowing I wasn't thinking clearly didn't deter me from making a big financial decision. While I was setting out the last of the supplies I'd need to decorate tomorrow, I thought about my newfound financial comfort and decided to share my good fortune. It was possible I'd have no use for the money anyway. I drove over to Merlotte's and refused to leave until Sam accepted the sizable check I'd written to keep the bar afloat. I made sure he knew to deposit it today. I didn't want there to be any complications if I didn't make it to tomorrow.

I wasn't in the mood for company, and to my dismay Dermot was at my house when I got back. I _really_ wasn't interested in his comments about which of my family photos actually featured my half-fairy grandfather posing as Gran's husband—possibly without her knowledge. I eventually relegated my meddlesome cousin to his work in the attic, insisting I had my own work to do.

Feeling utterly fatalistic about this evening, I distracted myself with a task I hated—checking my email. There was no reason for me to be so bad at keeping up with it, I just was. I found twenty new messages waiting for me including one from Mr. Cataliades about the cluviel dor. "Think once, and twice, and three times before you expend its energy," he'd written. "You can change the world, you know."

The demon lawyer cautioned me that use of the fairy love token could have "unexpected repercussions in history." I don't know why the supernatural creatures around me had to speak in riddles, but I took to heart his cautions about using the precious object left to me by Gran. The message I read next from Amelia reinforced that caution. The witch—who I was still on the outs with—had added to my knowledge that the wish had to be personal.

I carefully considered what Mr. Cataliades and Amelia had to say about the tremendous potential of my fairy love token. Deciding how to use it seemed to be a serious responsibility. With a few hours to go before I needed to be at Fangtasia, I logged out of my email to give the matter consideration, pen and paper ready for listing my options. I felt like I owed it to Gran to think this through considering all the times she could have helped herself by using the cluviel dor instead of leaving it for me.

The one thing I kept coming back to was the wish to be rid of my telepathy. It had caused me so much hurt throughout my life and kept me from pursuing an education. Being free of the endless chatter and meanness in people's minds had been a dream my entire life. There had been times when my curse had helped me survive, but I was convinced I wouldn't have needed saving in the first place if it hadn't been for my telepathy. Bill would have never been sent for me. Maybe I never would have been on the supe radar at all. Maybe I could drop off of it again if I were no longer useful to them. I tried not to think about whether they might decide I knew too much about their world to live if I couldn't read minds for them anymore.

Of course I considered other options. I could wish Victor, Felipe, and Freyda all dead. I could wish Eric out of all his troubles, but that felt like cheating. The uncharitable part of me thought if he truly wanted out of his maker's arrangement he could have managed it on his own. I thought the fact he hadn't fixed it already was a reflection of how much he cared about me—or didn't. Maybe it wasn't reasonable, but neither was our situation.

I could wish I'd never broken the bond with Eric, but I thought that might just cause us both more pain. I didn't want to feel him as he spent night after night with his new wife. I had too much stubborn pride to want him feeling my misery as he went away.

Eric and I had more issues than a wish could fix, so I considered other options. I could try to take Hunter's telepathy away. That could make a massive difference in my little cousin's life. I decided against this option and tried to ignore the part of my brain that said I was making a selfish decision. As much as I suffered as a child due to my telepathy, it didn't seem ethical to take his away without talking to him about it first and I would want to do that in person. Which of course I couldn't do for at least another couple of days, assuming I survived the night. A niggling part of me felt I shouldn't wait that long to use the cluviel dor.

I could wish away all the bad things that ever happened, but who knew what new and terrible things might take their place? I thought about the possible consequences of a wish that nothing could harm me ever again—what if it resulted in my being too dangerous to be around others? Hell, knowing my luck I'd probably turn into something with no body. Maybe I'd be a ghost and get stuck haunting the cemetery by my house for all eternity.

The passing thought of ghosts made me wonder if I could bring back my parents or Gran. I almost threw up as I considered the notion. If they were here now they'd only be used as leverage against me. Despite my association with vampires, it seemed wrong to bring anyone back from the dead. Besides, who knew how that wish would be carried out? Having met Bubba and Alexei, I had to consider they might not come back normal.

For a brief moment, I considered a wish to give myself additional powers. I had always seen my telepathy as a curse but I confess I thought about wishing for super strength, or full fairy powers, or to be queen of all supes so everyone would have to do what I said. This line of thought became increasingly ridiculous—I could fly! Or shoot flames from my hands! After a fit of slightly unhinged laughter, I gave up on my increasingly bad ideas. I'm ashamed to say I stopped brainstorming before I ever considered using my wish to help Pam or my brother Jason.

Making this potentially life-changing decision was very hard. In some ways I wished I'd been forced by circumstance to use the cluviel dor when I couldn't stop to think. Maybe if I'd seen sudden violence, like a car accident. I hated the idea that I might always regret whatever choice I made. If my hand were forced, I wouldn't have to agonize over my decision any more or take responsibility for the consequences of taking fate into my own hands.

I tried to shake off the gloom I felt. Whether it was the magic used to break the bond or the missing bond itself, I hadn't felt right since I severed my connection to Eric. And now he would be leaving me for another woman, a vampire Queen. It was just all so hard. I felt like I hadn't had a break since the night Bill first walked into Merlotte's.

But Gran hadn't raised me to expect things to be easy. Everything was really hard right now, and I needed to respect the opportunity she had left to me by taking time to make the best possible decision. The problem was, I didn't know if I had any more time than this night. No matter how long I deliberated, I kept coming back to the one thing I had always longed for—more than family, more than love—not being telepathic.

Decision made, I clutched the cluviel dor to my heart and prepared to state my wish. I hesitated for a moment, wondering if the events of this night would make me regret this wish later depending on how things turned out. While I was waffling, an alarm I'd set earlier in the day to keep me on track began blaring in my bedroom. It was time to leave for Fangtasia.

I stood there fixing to go ahead with my wish, despite an overwhelming sense of foreboding. Eyes clenched tight and clutching the special disk to my heart, I whispered aloud, "I wish to no longer be a telepath." A shockwave rebounded against my chest and I doubled over from pain and nausea. I'm not proud of the stream of swears that escaped me, including a few colorful phrases I'd learned from Pam. It was a sickening combination of a kick in the stomach and the stay away magic I'd felt outside Club Dead.

Despite my physical response, I had no way of knowing if the wish worked until I could be around others to test it. The cluviel dor still seemed to emit warmth when I ran a finger across it, the same as it did before. Just in case, I tucked the smooth green disk into my purse, no longer willing to leave it unguarded in a house shared by fairies. If I survived the night I'd have to think seriously about whether Claude and Dermot had been around for me or because of this powerful fairy love token.

I drove toward Fangtasia and tried to focus on the very dangerous task at hand. Tonight we would try to kill Victor. If by some miracle we succeeded and went unpunished, Eric and I would still have to face a host of seemingly insurmountable problems. I pulled around to park behind the vampire bar but could not seem to get my head on straight about the plan I had largely created. I felt like I was constantly hurtling between disasters, and I wished I'd had more time to stop and catch my breath.

Reflexively trying to send out my special sense to the dark parking lot around me, I instantly knew my earlier wish had failed. The thoughts of two humans parked nearby felt louder than ever because I was so disappointed. Maybe I was wrong to ever want to wish away a part of myself, but I grieved a bit as I gave up hope of ever being "normal." I allowed myself a moment of self-pity then did my best to shake it off, knowing I didn't have time to sit around feeling sorry for myself.

In a sudden moment of complete clarity like I'd only read about in novels, I knew what my new wish should be. A wave of excitement and hope washed over me. More time. I felt like something clicked into place inside me. I hadn't seriously considered time travel as an option for the cluviel dor, except for a passing thought about going back before I ever met Bill. I hadn't wanted to deal with Sophie Anne and Andre all over again. I also wasn't convinced I could survive going through it a second time.

But what if I didn't go back far? I recalled the time turner in a Harry Potter volume I'd recently read and wondered if I could use the cluviel dor to a similar effect—to give myself just enough time to work out the serious problems facing us and right some wrongs. Maybe if I had more than a night to plan, I could do a better job of working through the problems with Victor, Felipe, and Freyda...and my relationship issues with Eric. I knew it was a waste to use the wish on killing our current enemies outright—I knew from experience more would just pop up in their places. But I could buy some time to maneuver us into a better position instead of having my hand constantly forced by the rapid onslaught of disasters.

I sat in my car clutching the troublesome object while hurriedly contemplating my options. I thought about what I needed to be sure of in order to actually make use of more time, and how to phrase my wish for what amounted to an extension on a very high-stakes test (pun intended). I was sure with a little more time I could work out a better solution to my troubles than what was before me now. If I just walked in the door of Fangtasia tonight and we killed Victor, I had a very strong feeling I would not like what happened to me next.

I closed my eyes once more and very carefully made my wish. I opened them when I felt the magic discharge and immediately recognized the difference from earlier. With no shock of pain this time, a soft green light and comforting feeling surrounded me where I sat. In an instant the cluviel dor had become nothing more than a cold disk but I didn't yet see any other changes. Since I was still in my car at Fangtasia instead of back at my house, I knew I hadn't simply gone back a night. I had no idea how my wish would play out, so for now I had to carry on as planned. I got out of the car and walked to the back door of Fangtasia. Perhaps I'd get inside and find Victor's visit had been delayed.

As expected the employee door was unlocked and I strode inside as I'd done many times, bracing myself in case we still had to kill Victor despite my precisely worded wish. What I never expected was to have my shoulders grabbed forcefully by the vampire who'd just sped in front of me. Shocked when I recognized who held me, I stammered "Long Shadow?"

The stringy-haired vampire shoved me against the wall in the small hallway and dropped fang right in my face. "Who are you?" he demanded, shaking me a little. I wasn't sure how my wish had brought him here without his remembering me, but I quickly realized that understanding Long Shadow was not what I needed to be doing at that moment. Trying not to wince as his grip bruised my arms, I held my voice steady. "I need to see your Sheriff, Eric Northman."

Long Shadow yanked me forward just to bounce me off the wall again. "What are you!" He didn't give me time to answer before I was against the wall with his hand on my throat and his fangs roughly grazing my neck. While I still could I shouted "Eric!" and I felt tremendous relief as the thousand year old vampire sped into the space near us.

My reassurance at Eric's presence was short-lived, as he didn't do a thing to stop Long Shadow's assault on me. The latter had pulled away from my throat when Eric arrived, but I wasn't sure his restraint would continue. I was frozen against the wall, and I felt a drop of blood slide down my neck where Long Shadow's fangs had scraped me.

Eric suddenly had laser-like focus on my neck and I realized what a dangerous situation I was in. I wondered if using the cluviel dor had left fairy magic smell on me, because the two vampires were eyeing me with the dangerous hunger of predators. Although it felt like we were frozen there for an eternity, only seconds had passed when Eric finally ordered his bartender to drop me.

Long Shadow thankfully complied—although I could tell he wasn't happy about it. In no time at all, I found myself dumped on the leather couch in Eric's office with a very large Viking vampire standing over me menacingly. I was speechless, still uncertain what was happening, and his face offered no clues. I was stunned by the coldness in Eric's expression, in his body language. I hadn't seen Eric like this in quite some time, and it was then I realized just how much he had changed in the short years we'd known each other. Whatever had happened, this clearly wasn't my Eric. This Eric was looking at me with an icy menace that made my spine shiver.

Despite my wish for more time, I was no longer certain I would make it out of Eric's office alive. I was glad when he moved behind his desk, putting it between the two of us, his large hands clutching the heavy wooden edges hard enough to make them groan. His eyes never left mine as he questioned me, fangs showing, "Why are you here, fairy? Who has sent you?"

I couldn't understand why Eric didn't seem to know me. That lasted until I noticed the calendar stuck to the wall behind him—it was set on June 2004. The month Bill first walked into Merlotte's. The month I first met Eric.

Fuck a zombie.

Despite my careful thought and best efforts, I had gone back to the time I thought of as my entry into the supernatural world. I knew enough about Eric to realize I had to act quickly and smartly to ensure my safety. I couldn't get lost in thought while a lethal creature with no knowledge of me was in the room. I tried to infuse my voice with soothing calm. "Eric, I'm Sookie Stackhouse. I promise I'll tell you everything, but I have some ground rules first."

Eric's grip on the desk must have tightened because I heard a loud crack and watched the wood crumble in his hands. It was going to be a long night.


	2. Chapter 2

_Characters belong to Charlaine Harris._

Eric's intense blue eyes kept me pinned in my seat until he could relax enough to release his grip on the desk. "Explain," he commanded.

I wasn't sure where to begin. Eric was a very old and powerful vampire with no reason to trust me at the moment. I was afraid of what might happen if he thought a strange fairy was lying to him. More importantly, I had to make a split second decision about how involved to get with this Eric, about whether to explain or try to escape. I rapidly considered our past relationship, and this time I readily understood what we could have improved. Unlike most people who pass time with such thoughts as a romance turns sour, I had a real opportunity to make things better, to learn from past mistakes. One thing Eric and I desperately needed to change in this time was better communication. I steeled myself to stay and explain.

"First, I need your word that you can control yourself around my scent. I'm only part fairy so I can't mask it, and I don't know how long it will take for the cluviel dor smell to dissipate." At least I hoped it would wear off; I didn't want vampires reacting like Long Shadow all the time. Eric's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and it stunned me to realize he might already know what a cluviel dor was. I hadn't trusted him enough to ask the first time around.

Eric curtly agreed to my terms. He sent a quick text, most likely to Pam ordering that he not be disturbed. Then strode over to the door, locked it, and returned to the seat behind his desk. I was a little uneasy at being locked in his office, but knew that even with the door open I'd be unlikely to escape before Eric got answers. Even if I could leave I still needed something from him, and I felt certain to the core that I should act quickly to get it.

I had to assume that Hadley had already told Sophie Anne about me, which meant I needed protection to avoid being taken into her retinue against my will. There was also the matter of what I wanted, which had more to do with saving my heart than my freedom. Despite our struggles, I still loved Eric and wanted to fix things between us if this time allowed. Unfortunately, I knew it would be difficult and possibly dangerous to convince him that I'd travelled in time, that he'd loved me in my future.

I sat struggling in silence for a moment while Eric waited and watched me intently. I had a lot of questions and needed more assurances. "I have some things to tell you that will be very hard to believe. I'll do my best to explain, but you have to promise you won't hurt me, tell anyone about me except Pam, or prevent me from leaving after we talk. I have to be free to go. I promise I won't hurt you, and I need the same from you."

I didn't expect him to take my word on it, so my next revelation was intended to make him tread more cautiously. "You should also know I'm from the royal Sky Fae line. Niall Brigant is my great-grandfather." It was the first time I claimed my family status out loud. Eric was at least acquainted with Niall, and the possibility of his vengeance would be enough to make sure Eric listened without harming me. This time around I was going to use every advantage I had.

Eric considered me for a moment. "I agree but only so long as you present no threat to me and mine." I nodded, took a deep breath, and began what I was sure would be a very long explanation. My palms were slightly damp with nerves, and I wiped them against the soft fabric of my sky blue dress before I spoke.

"There's no other way to say it. I came here from the future." Some absurd things had happened to me in the last few years, but that sentence was beyond weird even for me. "A relative left me a very powerful piece of fairy magic. I used it tonight and it brought me back in time. I didn't know exactly what the magic had done until after Long Shadow attacked me. In my time, I had planned to meet you here tonight." I elected not to tell him about our plot to kill Victor just yet.

Eric waved a dismissive hand in the air. "It was your fairy scent. You cannot expect to barge in the back door of a vampire bar and remain unharmed." I knew enough about supes to understand that Eric wanted to divert me from making a fuss of Long Shadow's blood offense. If he was concerned about the consequences, it meant he recognized me as a supe—an aspect of myself I'd hidden instead of claiming until tonight. I'd never really thought about whether claiming it sooner might've helped protect me, too afraid of being seen as weirder than ever. Before I could consider it further, Eric changed the subject. "How do you know me?"

I was determined that truth was the best approach to take with Eric this time around, even if I kept some things to myself for now. I had him at a disadvantage, knowing things he didn't. I remembered hiding the truth from him after his amnesia. My mistake then had cost us time and trust. I decided to tell him about our past, and hoped not to have my heart crushed in the present.

"You and I had a complicated relationship in the future. I hated you at first, but a lot of that was another vampire's influence. We've saved each other's lives. We were together, a couple."

I knew his reaction would hurt my feelings and he didn't disappoint. Eric's expression was pure haughtiness. "I do not have relationships with humans, part-fae or otherwise."

I tried not to be annoyed by his disbelief. I understood I'd been a big exception to how Eric generally interacted with human women and had perplexed and frustrated him for quite a while. The feeling was mutual. This Eric wouldn't understand yet why he might have been interested in me for more than sex and blood.

"Believe me, being in a relationship was a pretty new experience for both of us. We were also bonded and pledged with the knife." Despite my intent to be more open with Eric, there was just no need to tell him of those circumstances right now. He looked genuinely shocked. "I can prove I know you. You told me about your life. I know how you were turned. Pam told me about her turning." Eric's doubt was plain on his face. "You told me about your human life, about Aude and your children."

Eric's slight growl as he barked "Impossible!" worried me, but I had one set of facts that would convince him beyond a shadow of a doubt. Eric would never have spoken these names to any other human. I just hoped he'd keep his promises. "I met Appius. I met your brother Alexei. We watched them die on my front lawn."

Eric's fangs made an appearance as he retook a death grip on the edges of his desk, more of the hard wood breaking away. "Are you a spy for my maker?" I cringed slightly, but pressed on.

"Eric, no. Nobody sent me. I mean you no harm. I can probably help us avoid some troubles your maker has caused. Or will cause." It hadn't even occurred to me that he'd suspect Appius's hand in my arrival. I tried to think of something his maker wouldn't know. I recalled our first meeting, and something Eric wouldn't have confided in his maker. "I know you have a problem with missing money in the bar."

My moment of triumph soon ended as Eric scowled. "And how do you know this?" I hesitated, then decided he needed to know about my abilities if we were going to spend time together. I didn't want to constantly lie to him about it.

"I can't read vampires at all, but I'm a telepath. In my past you brought me in to read your human employees and uncover the thief." I didn't offer to tell him who it was just yet. I needed to examine just how strong my habit of withholding information had been—a trait I'd previously only assigned to him with his shifty vampire answers.

I was once again glad Eric's gaze couldn't literally bore through me, but he remained in his seat. "Telepathy is not a fae trait." I sighed. This Eric was extremely matter-of-fact.

"I know. It's a long story. You know Mr. Cataliades, right?" Eric nodded slowly, expressionless. "He's kind of like my godfather. He knew my grandfather and believed he was giving me a gift by giving me the demon ability. It's one reason they make such good lawyers, you know."

I suspected from Eric's reaction he did not know about Mr. C.'s telepathy, nor of demon telepathy in general. Eric would surely have some pointed questions for him the next time they met.

After staring me down some more—and boy was I getting tired of that—Eric finally asked me a question. Or actually, he gave me another order to explain myself. "You claim we saved each other's lives. Tell me the circumstances."

After everything we'd been through, it was hard to know where to start. "Let's see...you saved me from Long Shadow." Which he'd already done again. "You saved me from gunfire, then tricked me into sucking a bullet out of your chest to get your blood in me." Eric looked extremely satisfied with himself. "You saved me from a maenad. Twice. You saved me from bleeding to death when I got staked at Club Dead." I took a steadying breath. "You rescued me and got me home safe when Bill Compton raped and almost drained me in a car trunk." Eric's predatory grin faded completely. But I wasn't done yet.

"There were Weres a couple of times. I took you in and protected you while you were under a witch's curse. You took a bullet for me when Debbie Pelt tried to kill me at my house. Then I killed her." I started crying then, collapsing under the weight of all of the horrible things we'd been through together. My voice was trembling when I started speaking again. "You bonded with me so I wouldn't be forced to bond with Andre. I saved you and Pam from the Fellowship bombs at Rhodes." I was shaking with tears. "I saved you and Felipe from Sigebert. You protected me by killing Breandan." Eric's jaw actually dropped. In an unexpected act of kindness, he reached into his desk and tossed me a handkerchief.

I tried to collect myself, pretty sure I'd hit on all the major near-deaths we'd faced together. I began to feel overwhelming gratitude to simply be here with Eric, healthy and whole. I vowed to to try to get us both through it with less danger this time. And with more cooperation and honesty. I felt more capable of doing that now than I ever had before.

Eric quickly covered his astonishment at my tale of our history together with more questions for me. "Why can your fairy kin not protect you?"

I sighed. I had no solid reason why they—Claude in particular—just weren't sitting quite right with me. My relatives were yet another thing I'd needed more time to sort out. I had a bone deep feeling that I was finally starting to trust, and it was that Claude and Niall did not have my best interests at heart. It didn't quite jive with Niall's recent rescue of me, but he also didn't seem to have any real interest in getting to know me. That left me wondering what he thought being acquainted with me might get him. And I couldn't think of any reason not to be honest with Eric about it.

"I don't trust them. I've met Niall, and he saved me from Lochlan and Neave's torture when you couldn't." Eric's body stiffened. The vicious fairy siblings were well-known in his world. Before I could continue my answer, Eric asked "You survived the fairies' torture?"

I remembered how my Eric tried to encourage me during my recovery, how impressed he was that I survived "intact." I stood from the couch and lifted my shirt, pointing to my scars. "These are from the fairies. It's worse on my thighs." I touched another spot on my belly. "This one's from the stake."

Eric watched me skeptically, eyes raking across my skin. "We were bonded, yet I did not offer you healing?"

I plopped back down on the couch and a rogue tear leaked down my cheek. "Of course you did. It was enough to save my life." A few scars really shouldn't have bothered me, compared to that. I couldn't interpret Eric's thoughtful expression so I returned to the original subject.

"Anyway, a couple of my fairy cousins started living with me recently, and you were sure they had an ulterior motive." There was an obvious explanation I hadn't had time to consider but had thwarted that very night. I bit my lip thoughtfully before continuing. "I think I finally figured out what it was. They were drawn to the cluviel dor and came to take it from me."

Eric made a barely audible "hmmm" noise then remained silent for a few moments before saying, "Fine. Assume I believe you are here from the future where we've had some association. What is it you want from me now?" After baring my emotions and literally exposing my scars all I really wanted was to bury myself in Eric's arms. No comforting hugs were on offer from the vampire, so I braced myself to tell him more hard truths.

"Eric, I'll be honest. I have every reason to believe your Queen will try to use me for my telepathy. I would like you to claim me, to exchange blood. I'd like your official protection so she can't just take me."

The only response I got from Eric was steely, silent consideration. Vampire stillness could be very worrisome. I had to make it worth his while.

"I can offer you my blood—within reason—and use of my telepathy. In my past, we had an arrangement so other vampires had to go through you and pay to use my services. I'd like to have something like that again."

I hesitated to continue, but thought back to all the difficulties Eric and I had because neither of us were in the habit of talking openly. "I know I'm a stranger to you now. I'd like for you to get to know me again. I want to spend time together. I'd like to see if we could be together again." I had looked down at my white sandals awkwardly for that last part, but now I held his gaze. "I loved you, Eric. I still love you. It's really scary to tell you when you don't even know me, but it's true."

I let out a long breath and slumped against the back of the couch waiting for his response. If I was expecting an emotional one, I would just have to be disappointed. "Your telepathy works on humans?"

That was Eric, pragmatic to the end.

"Yes. And Weres but they're not as clear, especially at a distance. Physical contact helps."

"Not vampires?"

Despite my newfound desire to be open with Eric, he didn't care enough about me yet to learn I'd read him before. There was honest and there was suicidal. In this case a simple truth was better. "I can sense and count you. I can't be glamoured."

I felt the slight pressure of his glamour attempt before he nodded, satisfied I was telling the truth. Something about his demeanor relaxed ever so slightly.

"You claim we had a relationship." He put on one of his most flirtatious grins and instilled his smooth voice with sex. "I enjoyed it, having my part fairy lover? I would care to repeat the experience?"

I shamelessly flirted in response, not wanting to delay our getting back together any longer than necessary. I met his blue eyes with mine and gave him a grin that matched his for suggestiveness. "You would, and you have, many times."

As he smiled wolfishly and shifted in his seat, I struggled to make my face more serious once more. He needed to be clear about one very important thing. "But I won't be with you again until you're ready to be only with me. You should get to know me first. I don't do casual."

Eric's mood shifted sharply and he gave me an appraising look. After a silence that seemed to stretch for ages, he spoke in a dry, business-like tone: "I agree to your terms. I will offer my protection. You will provide your blood and use of your telepathy. I will act as your manager and guardian in contracting your labor and will receive a percentage of your pay. You also will work at Fangtasia, where it is most convenient for me to keep an eye on you."

At first I stared him down with a look that could peel wallpaper, but I soon realized it was the best plan I had. Nothing he said was actually unreasonable. I didn't want to go back to Merlotte's, especially if it meant waiting for Bill to show up again. I didn't look forward to spending my nights at Fangtasia but I could accept it until he trusted me more. I understood why he'd want to keep me close; I wanted the same. "Okay, that works. I've waitressed and tended bar before." And yet, our new arrangement wasn't enough. With a rush of words before I could lose courage, I stammered, "Is there any way I could stay with you?"

It was a sudden and bizarre request on my part, but at least it was out of my mouth before I could second guess myself. Circumstances aside, we'd connected best when we lived together during Eric's amnesia, and a major problem we'd had was not spending enough time together. More urgently, the time travel had unsettled me and I simply didn't feel like being alone.

Eric's only response was a slightly alarmed look, so I started to ramble nervously. "It's either you, or way out in Bon Temps, right next door to a fairy portal. A lot of bad things happened to me there..." Somehow going back in time had cleared my mind about a number of things, and one improvement I now considered was letting go of the house where Uncle Bartlett touched me, where I'd found Gran murdered, and poor Tina, and where we'd both been attacked more than once. Where I'd killed a fairy, and Debbie Pelt. It seemed silly to cling to it now. It didn't even occur to me until later that it might mean Gran living there alone.

Eric considered me for a moment. "I find I do not wish to let you out of my sight until I learn more. You may stay at one of my secondary safe houses." Of course, saying yes allowed him to keep tabs on me without technically holding me captive. I didn't blame him for being unwilling to bring me into his primary residence, and I wasn't ready to reveal that I already knew its location. "I will have Pam bring the necessary items. It will not be ready until tomorrow evening. I will return you to Bon Temps for this night." He looked me up and down and seemed to be reflecting on everything I'd told him. "Do try to stay out of trouble." His slight grin gave me hope he was at least a little interested in me.

If only he knew how often he'd told me that exact thing. "Okay, thanks Eric. I promise you can trust me, although I understand why you'd be careful. I know this will take some time."

He shook his head with a grin still on his lips, perhaps wondering at the strange woman who'd walked into his bar. "I'll need to notify the Queen of my claim on you."

I thought for a moment. "Do you know if she has a new pet or vampire named Hadley?"

Eric eyed me with newfound suspicion. "She does. You know her how?"

"Hadley's my cousin. That's how the Queen found out about me originally, why she sent Bill Compton after me. Wait, has Bill turned up here yet?" I hadn't been to Bon Temps yet, so I hadn't had a chance to scope out the old Compton place.

Eric scowled. "He has not. I am familiar with him as Queen Sophie Anne's procurer."

I doubted Eric would even know yet if Bill were around. "Last time he didn't check in with you before he moved in and made contact with me." Eric's scowl deepened at the news Bill Compton had gotten something past him. Had tried to take someone from under his nose. "He moved into a family home next door to me, so I can check it out when you drop me off."

In response to my casualness about checking for Bill, Eric looked at me like I had three heads. "You will do no such thing. If Compton is there he owes me an explanation. I will handle him." I had to acknowledge that throwing myself in Bill's path might not be the wisest course, at least until I knew more. Taking a moment to consider my actions needed to be part of the plan if I wanted to live with less damage this time. I'd had a bad habit of rushing into things last time around.

While I was halfway stuck in my memories, Eric elaborated that he needed to make at least a cursory check of the area if he was to offer his protection. He planned to drive me home and send Pam to pick me up tomorrow night.

Logistics settled, Eric and I continued to talk for hours, with me answering his questions and telling him things about our futures (from my past—the tenses got a little complicated at times). We agreed that Mr. Cataliades was needed, both as my potential ally and to draw up Eric's contract for my telepathy. Eric couldn't get the demon lawyer on the phone at first, but saying my name in the voicemail ensured we got a quick return call. After a lengthy discussion by speaker phone, it was arranged for Mr. C to drop off a draft contract tomorrow at my old farmhouse. The lawyer also made it quite clear to Eric that he expected to find me whole and healthy tomorrow, and however absurd my claims sounded he was certain they were quite credible. While he gave Eric his version of a southern dad wielding a shotgun over his daughter's first date, I thought about whether I could have been much safer all along if anyone had bothered to tell me the extent to which I had a demon in my corner.

By four thirty in the morning I could barely hold my eyes open and Eric needed to start thinking about getting me back to Bon Temps and returning to his own resting place. With assurances we would talk further the next night, we sped toward my old house in his Corvette. I quietly used the hidden spare key to let myself in the back door and headed toward my old room—the one I'd used before Gran died—because I could sense her sleeping mind in her old room. Exhausted from hours of Eric's interrogation and satisfied he was going to give our arrangement a chance, I had a single passing thought about the strangeness of the room before I fell into a deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

_Characters belong to Charlaine Harris._

When I woke the next morning I began to take in some of the changes that had occurred—not just since my time travel, but things that had changed from the original timeline. I needed to pick up a notebook today and start writing down everything I could remember. I lay in the bed staring at the ceiling for a while contemplating my situation. There was so much I hadn't considered the previous night — was there another Sookie Stackhouse still in this timeline, or had I simply replaced my old self? What could I safely change without causing terrible consequences? I was glad Mr. Cataliades would be stopping by today—maybe he could provide some advice.

Not quite ready to get out of bed and face Gran cooking in the kitchen—would she know something was different?—I rolled over on my side and looked around the room where I received my first shock of the day. I was intimately familiar with what the room should have looked like, having lived with Gran for so many years. My childish furniture was here, but it wasn't surrounded with the belongings of my previous life. Instead, it seemed Gran had set up a sewing table along one wall, bins of fabric and supplies stashed all around the room. I tripped over a sewing kit as I exited the bed.

Upon closer inspection, I spotted even more differences. The nightstand held none of my personal items and the closet was filled with odds and ends instead of my clothing. I bent over and felt around the floor of the closet which later in my timeline would serve as the entrance to a vampire hidey hole; I found nothing but old shoes, photo albums, and an undisturbed wooden floor. I was still wearing my clothes from last night, so it looked as though I'd have to face Gran a little less than fresh. I had a sneaking suspicion I'd also have to face a reality that had changed in more than time.

I braced myself and exited my room, making a brief stop in the bathroom on the way. There was no sign of my toothbrush or toiletries. I stared in the mirror after splashing my face with water and tried to think. As tempting as it was to rush in and hug Gran with all the enthusiasm that having lived without her generated, I needed to keep calm and find out more about the world I was now living in. That meant no crying over Gran's cooking and no squeezing her to death in a long hug. Ready to face the consequences of my wish, I calmly made my way to kitchen.

"Morning, Gran." She started and spun away from the oven to face me.

Voice quivering a tiny bit, she replied, "Well good morning, Sookie. You stayed over last night?" Wait, what? If real life came with sound effects, mine would have just experienced an ear-shatteringly loud record scratch combined with brakes squealing. Was it possible I didn't live here? I couldn't see how that would make any sense. Gran being here could be explained both by my travel to the past before she was killed as well my wish for "more time"—which had almost certainly included a wish for more time with the beloved woman who raised me. I quickly attempted to pull myself together so I could learn more.

"Uh, yeah Gran. I hope you don't mind?" I opened a familiar kitchen cabinet, relieved to find the coffee cups exactly where I remembered. I poured a cup as she responded with a gentle pat on my shoulder.

"Of course not, dear, I was just surprised to see you. Your car isn't outside, did someone drop you off? Did you have another disagreement with your parents?" This time I couldn't contain my reaction, spewing my ill-timed sip of coffee across the kitchen. Horrified, I turned to grab a rag and clean up. Gran was watching me, curiosity and concern plain on her face.

"Goodness, child, what's gotten into you?" My mouth opened and closed like a stranded fish as I struggled for a reply and wiped down the table and floor. I hated to lie to Gran, but with a few more minutes I could read her mind a bit and find out what was happening. I'd always tried to stay out of her thoughts, but something was seriously wrong here. Too many times I'd walked right into trouble because I didn't use my telepathy appropriately.

"Nothing Gran, I'm sorry. Just hotter than I expected. It's all cleaned up now." I felt like she could see right through me, and I was ashamed of myself. I gave myself a break when my thoughts drifted to just how much Gran had kept from me all those years—about where my telepathy came from, that I had a supernatural sponsor in the world, the cluviel dor, maybe even why my parents died. Had she known? Somehow I'd never even questioned it in my previous timeline—by the time I'd found out some of the truth about Gran and Fintan and my fairy heritage, it was too late to ask.

"You seem out of sorts today Sookie. Were you out drinking last night?" She fixed me with a look that suggested we might have had this conversation before. I tried to shrug it off and distract her with some good old-fashioned gossip.

"Now, Gran, you know that's more Jason's style than mine. I wonder what shape he's in this morning?" I forced a light chuckle, but a slap so hard it turned my head shocked the laughter right out of me.

"Sookie Stackhouse, that's enough! You apologize or go on home. I love you, but I won't have you speak of the dead that way in my home. And your own brother, no less."

I'm sure my eyes were as big as saucers. Jason was dead? I couldn't have changed that much with my simple wish for more time, it wasn't possible...A wave of nausea rushed over me as I began to understand. I knew thoughts of Gran and my parents had crossed my mind as I focused my wish on the people I wished I'd had more time with. Jason—still alive and kicking in my original timeline—hadn't even been a blip on my radar as I deployed that bit of fairy magic.

I felt terrible, but I also needed to learn more. I rose to my feet and hugged Gran, apologizing to her for the callousness of my "joke." Cynically, I intended the hug as an opportunity to read her mind. I found heartbreaking memories of Jason's death by car accident—and the police report attributing his untimely death just a year ago to his drunk driving. Along with the deaths of Arlene Fowler and her two children, who were in the car that Jason's truck demolished. Gran's imagination of the terrible event was particularly vivid. Oh, God.

It was all I could do not to throw up at the image of Jason's broken body.

I had two choices now. I could play it off like nothing was wrong or I could tell Gran what happened to me. She knew about the cluviel dor, after all. In fact, she might have already left a letter in the hidden drawer. I wondered if she'd thought I was worth leaving it to in this timeline—the Gran I'd grown up with would never have slapped my face. The thought made my nausea return.

It was remembering that Mr. Cataliades was coming by today with a contract that made the decision for me.

"Gran, I'm very sorry. I need to tell you something important…"

Over the next several hours I shared many things with Gran, including my knowledge of Fintan, Niall, and my fairy heritage (much to her embarrassment). I gave her an abbreviated version of the litany of mortal threats I'd shared with Eric last night. We wept and hugged each other as I told her about Bill, Lochlan and Neave, and Linda's and Hadley's and my parents' deaths—and then I had the horrible task of telling her about her own death. I saw something hopeful in her eyes as I told her about Eric, how I cared for him during his amnesia, and my use of the cluviel dor. The magic couldn't take away what I'd been through, but I could hear Gran's thoughts that perhaps it would give me a second chance at love and to carve out whatever life I wanted—even if that life was sure not to be "normal" by any standard.

Gran told me more about Jason's life and death, and about my parents. They'd obviously never been killed by fairies in a "flash flood"—but in Gran's memory that didn't mean our lives had been ideal. For one thing, Uncle Bartlett had still reared his ugly head. For another, my mom's slight obsession with my dad had only grown as she got older. It had led to an increasingly unhealthy fixation and her estrangement from me and Jason, in part due to our sheer embarrassment. This version of my mom was known around Bon Temps as "crazy" just as much as I was, a result of clingy and bizarre behavior like showing up at my dad's work unexpectedly and yelling at the other women in the office.

I found out Aunt Linda had died early in Gran's world, too, but Hadley had come to live with me and Jason and our parents. It hadn't been enough to keep from falling into drugs and alcohol and all kinds of trouble. Hadley had run away from a rehab center Gran paid for a few years ago, just like I remembered. Some things never change, no matter the ripple effects of one woman's wish.

Eventually we returned to Mr. C's planned visit later. Gran went into a frenzy of preparing for a guest and was just pulling a lemon pound cake out of the oven by the time I detected a demon brain buzzing its way across the lawn. On entering the kitchen, Mr. Cataliades greeted Gran with a friendly hug, insisting we both call him Desmond. For a moment I was lost in disorienting thoughts about how the Gran of my own time had first met the demon long before I was born and yet I'd never had a clue.

After much friendly discussion, we eventually got down to the business of reviewing the contract at Gran's old kitchen table. I had many questions about the language and conditions, and I was happy with most of the answers. I only needed a tiny revision, so Mr. Cataliades said he'd come by Fangtasia later tonight with copies for Eric and I to sign. I followed him out the front door and closed the door behind me before I brought up my final question. It would sound weird, but so was everything else in my life. "Desmond?"

Mr. Cataliades halted on the bottom step and turned to listen. "Since I came back, I feel like I'm thinking more clearly about things. Like I know what I want and how to get it this time. I feel almost certain of what I need to do at times, even if I never would have done it before."

He puzzled over that for a moment and then nodded. "It all depends on the phrasing of course, but I suspect your wish for more time included an element of desiring to be able to better choose your own path, to plot against the troubles that faced you in your own timeline."

Bingo.

"You may find yourself better able to think things through quickly, similar to the speed of the supernatural mind. A very common purpose of the cluviel dor was to protect a fairy's loved one, after all, and giving you 'more time' to think in this way may help you survive. The wish may act in some way to make your desired path clearer, to give you more time to get on that path.

I thought for a brief moment, nodding at the logic of Mr. C's assessment. "And the fairy smell? It will wear off with time?"

The demon tilted his round head, visibly sniffing the air. "Yes, I believe so. What you are experiencing is simply backwash from using a powerful fairy object. It will fade, but you will need to be careful for a a few more days." As it would turn out, being careful wasn't in store for me. It never was.


	4. Chapter 4

_Characters belong to Charlaine Harris._

About two hours after dark, a car bounced up the still-rutted gravel driveway and a vampire mind soon approached the front door. I glanced out a window to make sure it was Pam before I approached the door. I grinned to see her in the Fangtasia style I knew she hated, tonight a short black halter dress, her blond hair in a high sleek ponytail. Blood red spike heels and a huge ruby dangling from a long chain of small black links completed her simple, slightly gothic look.

I wished Pam was in her usual twin sets as Gran stepped up behind me and said nervously, "Sookie? Who's your friend? Is everything okay?" I don't know if Gran realized Pam wasn't human, but Pam's outfit alone would be enough to surprise my traditional grandmother. I was sure she'd never seen anything like it in Bon Temps.

I turned to face Gran, keeping Pam at my back—and still on the porch. I nudged the door a little bit closed behind me. "Yeah, Gran, everything's fine. Pam is taking me by my new job tonight, and Mr. C is going to bring the final contract there for us to sign." My cheeks warmed as I prepared to tell her where I'd go afterward. "And, um, I was planning to stay with Eric for a while. Just until I get a few things straightened out."

I braced for Gran to fuss at me about my morals, but she just patted me on the shoulder and smiled. "Okay, dear. You call me if you need something. Make sure you let me know how to reach you too."

Her reaction was unnerving. Maybe not acting as my parent for so many years had made her more lenient with me in this time. But I wasn't yet completely off the hook in this awkward encounter. "Now, Sookie, mind your manners and introduce me to your friend." When she insisted like that, there was no use arguing.

I had no idea how Pam would treat Gran and I hadn't planned to invite her in; we weren't yet friends in this time and I was being cautious. I stammered, "Oh, um…" but Gran was already around me and pushing to door open wide to usher her in from the porch. To my horror, Gran leaned into Pam to hug her and cheerfully said, "I'm Sookie's grandmother. Who are you, dear?"

It was worth it to see Pam's bewildered expression. I jumped in to cover her lack of response. "Gran, this is Pam Ravenscroft. Eric is her maker. She's going to be showing me my job tonight."

Gran gave Pam a wide smile and clasped Pam's hands between her own. "Well, that's just wonderful. Thank you Miss Ravenscroft for giving my Sookie a job. She's real special and I know she'll be a fine employee." Why Gran was beaming I didn't know, but I suspected I'd had more trouble finding work in this time than in my own. Blushing from Gran's enthusiastic praise, I quickly made our excuses and practically dragged a stunned Pam to her car.

For the duration of the ride Pam's only words were, "Sookie, you and your grandmother are truly a surprise." She shook her head with disbelief and we returned to silence until we pulled into the employee parking behind Fangtasia.

Once inside I locked down my shields as tightly as I could. As Pam took me behind the bar I noticed the new bartender. I'd let Eric know in the car last night who his thief was, but it still surprised me that Long Shadow had already been replaced. I spared only a second of thought for what his firing might have entailed, and I hoped it wasn't a sign my supposed curse on Fangtasia's bartenders had carried over to this timeline.

After an unnecessary tour of Fangtasia and instruction on my duties for tomorrow, Pam deposited me on a barstool, bought me a drink, and told me to wait until Eric was ready for me. I shouldn't have assumed he'd attend to me quickly, but I didn't expect him to simply hang out in his corner booth on display for a couple of hours. By the time I'd finished a third drink I was tired of sitting and waiting, so I took to the dance floor. I liked the way my skirt twirled with me, and soon I was thinking of nothing but the joy of dancing.

My mindless bliss was interrupted when I felt large hands on my swaying hips and a vampire void behind me. I knew just from the touch it was Eric. He'd been watching me dance off and on, and it made sense he'd observe me for a while before signing the contract later. I hadn't anticipated the more personal effect my dancing had on him, but it was more than apparent as he pressed his firm body against my back.

"Ms. Stackhouse," he purred into my ear. "I was enjoying your performance and decided to join you." I continued to flow to the music, Eric matching my movements and my temperature zooming up at the intimate contact between us.

"Mmmm" was all I managed to get out before my gaze drifted toward the door and I recognized the dark-haired vampire stepping into the club.

Oh, shit.

I turned around, grabbed his wrist, and softly insisted as close to Eric's ear as I could, "Eric, your office, now."


	5. Chapter 5

_Characters belong to Charlaine Harris. See end for additional notes._

In a blur of seconds I found myself once more roughly deposited on Eric's couch, but this time he loomed over me fangs down and face full of lust. I reached out for him automatically and he grabbed my face with both hands, pulling me in for a rough kiss. This wasn't what I'd come in here for but I wanted it to continue, missing this contact between my Eric and myself, my hands roaming his shoulders, tangling his hair, seeking to pull our bodies as close together as possible. It would be so easy to simply give in to this moment, ignore Hadley's arrival for now, and claim this Eric as mine.

A noise broke through my lust and Eric pulled away to attend to whoever was at the door. I caught my breath as he opened it to Pam's amused smirk. Eric snapped at her in another language before Pam announced, "The demon lawyer is here to sign the contracts. Also, the Queen's piece is here and demanding to know what you have done with her cousin." Pam was obviously delighted by whatever fuss Hadley was making in the bar after seeing Eric whisk me away.

"Eric…" I tried to shake off the distraction of my forceful desire. After a day of learning some things were very different in this timeline, I speculated that certain dangers I'd faced might play out in unexpected ways as well. "What if Queen Sophie-Anne sent Hadley this time instead of Bill?"

Eric snapped himself back to Sheriff mode, face focused in a way I knew meant he was rapidly considering the possibilities. He turned to Pam, ordering her to fetch Mr. Cataliades. As she returned to the bar, Eric gathered himself before instructing, "We will sign the papers now. That will formalize my protection. We must exchange blood as well, before Hadley has an opportunity to speak with me. If she cannot express any claim on you, mine will take precedent and the Queen will have to retreat."

I nodded, grateful that Eric was taking my situation seriously and willing to help. I still had a bit of a grim, pessimistic streak though. "It won't stop her forever."

Eric nodded in acknowledgement of further difficulties that might lie ahead. His voice held a certainty that comforted me. "It will considerably slow her down. That will be enough."

Desmond entered then, so we quickly reviewed the minor changes and signed the contract. Pam stood witness, as she and the demon both would for our first blood exchange as well. I recalled previous blood exchanges and felt terribly awkward about having an audience, but everyone felt it best under the circumstances. If the cluviel dor's lingering scent caused Eric to lose control as he tasted my blood, the demon was the only one with a shot at protecting me. I think Pam just liked to watch.

Pam and Mr. C settled into the couch, and Eric surprised me by picking me up and setting me on the edge of his desk. Stepping between my thighs, Eric stroked my neck with one long finger, his other hand drifting down the side of my body. Voice rough, I managed to say "Eric, please."

Eric pulled back just enough to extract a sharp knife from who-knows-where and make a slice in his wrist. I looked into his eyes as I raised his cool skin to my warm lips and began to drink. Eric shivered slightly as I sucked at the wound, then pressed close to my body once more. I easily ignored the running commentary that had started between Pam and Mr. C, all of my focus on the taste of Eric's blood and his tongue caressing my neck. Eric's hard fangs soon pierced my skin and we both moaned, bodies beginning to grind together involuntarily. I had missed him and our easy intimacy before so many terrible things happened. I was too lost in the moment for shame. My hands tightly grabbed the wooden edges of Eric's desk and I tried to hang on while my body tried to pull me over a very different edge. From the familiar soft grunts Eric emitted as he drank, I thought he was close to falling over it with me.

In our lustful haze, it took us too long to react when the door slammed open. Hadley barged in at vampire speed, and I vaguely understood her shrieking as she began flailing at Eric's back, something about his ruining her "one chance."

Pam and Desmond were off the couch immediately, pulling Hadley away, but Eric was a bit dazed from the effects of my blood. Otherwise Hadley would have never gotten close to him. Unfortunately, the very strong vampire and demon pulling on Hadley as she clung to Eric—while he drank from me—caused Eric's fangs to rip a bloody gash in my throat as he too was pulled away.

I felt faint and swayed a bit. Eric finally snapped back to reality enough to lunge at Hadley, but his fairy blood-induced high put him at a disadvantage. She dodged him, zipping around behind the desk and pulling me backwards forcefully against her chest, holding me like a human shield. Honestly, I don't know what she was thinking, putting two vampires and a pissed off demon between her and the door. I wasn't sure I'd get to contemplate this for long, though, because my blood loss only increased as Hadley manhandled me and shouted at Eric.

I couldn't understand what she was saying anymore and I was getting cold. I fought to focus my eyes, at a loss to what else was happening in the room. I made one critical observation—Eric hadn't yet replaced the furniture he'd damaged last night. I dipped one hand down to the splintered edge of the desk. When I brought it back up with the last of my strength, Hadley collapsed into the nothingness of blood and blackness and ash. At that, I too faded to black.

I woke later to a worried-looking Eric gently wiping my healed neck with a damp bar rag. I raised a hand to where I thought a deep fang wound should be. My fingertips found nothing but slightly tender skin. I also felt the strange sensation of Eric's presence in my veins, the buzzing energy of vampire blood and the beginnings of a tie. As I fully regained consciousness, I sat up and started to panic.

"Eric, what are we going to do?! I killed Hadley!" I was sure the Queen would take vengeance for my act. It was only then I noticed Desmond and Pam were still in the room. Mr. C soothed my nerves by insisting he would handle it as counsel for both my (fairy) family and Eric for much longer than he'd worked for the Queen.

"Are you sure?" I asked him, doubtful it could be so straightforward.

Desmond smiled confidently. "Of course. Hadley attacked a member of the fae royal line, one under the protection of Sheriff Eric Northman, inside his own bar. He had every right to stake her. That you did it instead is of no consequence."

I gaped at Mr. C for a moment. Eric simply nodded at him, apparently in agreement with his assessment. I looked around at my three supernatural compatriots and the mess on the rug that used to be Hadley, and I wanted nothing more than to get some more sleep and not deal with anything else until tomorrow. It was very clear to me now that "more time" didn't necessarily mean predictability or all positive outcomes. I knew we'd have many challenges ahead of us, but I had hope this Eric and I could face them together and win this time.

Eric gestured for me to follow him and we headed through the bar—long closed—and out into the night. I automatically reached for his hand as we crossed the parking lot together. He flinched almost too quickly for me to notice before relaxing and nodding, allowing the contact to continue. Eric opened the passenger door to his red Corvette and watched me carefully as I buckled up. In the driver's seat a second later, he looked at me with what seemed like appreciation.

"I believe there will never be a dull moment with you around, Sookie. Let's go home."

 _A/N: I've marked this story as complete for now because this is as much as I planned and wrote for the exchange. I may continue it in the future. Check out the other stories at_ _svmtbficexchange dot wordpress dot com_


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